


Loud Music

by diav



Category: Kim Possible (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Music
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-24
Updated: 2012-09-11
Packaged: 2017-11-21 03:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/592980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diav/pseuds/diav
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by Michelle Branch's song, "Loud Music." AU-ish. What if Kim came across Shego rocking out to Zeppelin and Hendrix? Why is Kim in a band with Shego? Read to find out! Rating may go up as the story progresses. ON INDEFINITE HIATUS.</p><p>Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Kim Possible series. Nor do I own the lyrics to Michelle Branch's "Loud Music."</p><p>Spoilers: N/A</p><p>Warnings/Notes: This is my first KiGo fic, so I apologize if Kim and Shego do seem a bit OOC. Other author's notes can be found at the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Zeppelin and Hendrix

_And now and then I get to wonderin'_

_What would have happen if we never met_

_I don't know_

_You take a drag of your cigarette_

_And drivin' too fast with some Zeppelin on, oh oh_

Kim sat in the back of a black pickup truck used to transport all of  _their_  music equipment and wondered about how her life took a three-hundred-sixty degree turn in the past three months. She just graduated from Upperton University with a criminology major and was just about to apply for a plethora of jobs when she met _her_.

Shego.

Flashback to Three Months Ago

_You know you had me at "cool t-shirt, babe"_

_I said I wished that I'd seen Hendrix play_

_You took me home to see your new guitar_

_Turning it up, shook me all night long_

The green-skinned woman was rocking it out to Led Zeppelin in her black pickup truck while she was waiting for the street light to change. Cranking it up to a deafening volume that would sure attract the attention of passersby, Shego noticed a very pretty redhead, decked out in a purple Hendrix t-shirt and black slacks, crossing the street. She turned down the stereo and shouted out to the redhead, "Cool t-shirt, babe!"

Kim had noticed that Zeppelin was blasting in one of the cars nearby, so she wasn't too startled when she heard a voice call out to her. But she was surprised to hear that that voice was not of a man's, but of a woman's. A very good-looking woman.

Kim looked up to see the woman motioning at her and smirked.  _It's a Hendrix t-shirt, of course it's cool_ , Kim thought. She crossed the street, turned around, and shouted at the stranger, "I wished that I'd seen Hendrix play!"

All she remembered was that she heard tires screech and the pickup truck was now on her side of the street, just a few metres from where she was standing. Puzzled, Kim walked over.

"Hendrix lover, eh?" said the green-skinned stranger as she rolled down the passenger seat window.

Kim nodded. Shego gazed at her briefly with her green eyes and then smirked.

"I just got a new Gibson Flying V, in Hendrix's psychedelic style. Wanna check it out?"

Present Day

_Making loud music_

_We're making loud music_

_We're making loud music_

_You and I_

_So loud, so (loud)_

_Normally, I wouldn't follow strangers home, but something about that gaze beckoned me to go with her. We had such a great time just... rockin' it out at her house that day. She owns so many guitars and amps yet she drives this piece of crap she calls her baby. You'd figure that if she can afford five different Fender Stratocasters, two Paul Reed Smiths, and six different Gibsons, she can afford a new ride. Her reasoning was something along the lines of 'living the true life of a rocker' and that the pickup truck lets us transport equipment easily without having to rent a bus. A family van would be better than this._

_But, Shego's right. There's something special about doing things the 'raw' way, especially now since we have gigs in Lowerton, Middleton, Upperton, and even Go City. Who'd have imagined the pampered Kim Possible would go from a life of fighting crime to being a rocker?_

Kim sighed as she looked around the gas station they stopped at. They were on their way to Go City for another gig, so Shego was busy paying for gas inside.

A couple of minutes later, the green-skinned woman, clad in a rather formfitting black leather outfit, came out with a bag full of snacks and drinks. "Whatcha thinking about, babe?"

Kim blushed. After three months of knowing Shego, she still wasn't accustomed to the nicknames Shego gave her. Thankfully, they were mostly limited to "babe", "Princess", "Kimmie", and "Red."

"Oh, nothing, really. Just thinking about how we first met."

Shego grinned. "When we first met, you didn't look like someone who knew how to play a guitar  _well_ , Princess. Figured I'd scare you off by asking you to come over and check out my guitars, but you had such a determined and curious look on your face."

Kim scoffed. "And do I know how to play guitar  _well_ now?"

"Doy, 'course you do. Otherwise, we wouldn't be on our way to Go City for this gig."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was referring to the Jimi Hendrix Psychedelic Flying V guitar, produced by Gibson, that Shego bought (http :/ / bit . ly /nB4p98). It's got a red, white, and green pattern on it, so it's something that definitely suits Shego.


	2. Jammin'

_It was like my life began that day_

_I still remember what the jukebox started to play_

_And then we had to take it on the road_

_Start me up like a rolling stone_

Kim had felt pressured by both of her parents to either become a doctor or a physicist. Both parents wanted her to uphold the Possible name by being one or the other, but eventually Kim's own interest in crime fighting and law gave way. What she was going to do with her criminology degree, she didn't know. So when this gorgeous stranger asked Kim to go with her to check out guitars, Kim couldn't resist. She always wanted to rebel against her parents; taking up criminology was a subtle way of doing that, but she wanted to do something more devious. Something that would get her in trouble. Or so she thought.

The day she followed Shego home was one of those days where she actually didn't get in as much trouble as she thought she would. Basically Kim ogled at every guitar Shego owned in her apartment until the green-skinned woman stuffed one of the guitars into Kim's hand.

"Play something for me," Shego commanded.

Kim blinked and stared at the guitar in her hand.

"Don't act stupid, Princess. You look like someone who can play."

"Princess?" squeaked Kim. If looks could kill, the stare that Shego was giving her would've sliced her in half.

"Got a problem with me calling you 'Princess'?" retorted Shego.

Regaining her composure, Kim strapped on the guitar carefully and simply shook her head. She strummed a few notes to make sure everything was ok and started playing a familiar tune.

Shego smirked seductively. "Really, Princess, you can't get no satisfaction?"

Kim stopped playing and blushed. "No, it's not  _that_. It's just... I don't know what to do with my life..." She stopped talking. Why was she pouring out her soul to a stranger she met on the street?

Shego cocked her head to the side. "Not sure about where your life is heading, what kind of path you're walking, and what the destination will be?"

Kim nodded.

Shego's reply was blunt. "Fuck that shit, Princess, live in the  _now_. Don't think too much about it. Do what  _you want to do_. Worry later."

Kim frowned. "You don't understand. I didn't expect you to."

Shego crossed her arms. "Try me."

"First off, you tell me who you are and why you invited me over," Kim asked. It was only fair that she got something in exchange for divulging her fears to this stranger.

"Go by the name Shego, just call me that. And why? You have a pretty badass t-shirt and look like someone who can kick some ass," was the reply.

Kim chuckled softly. "Ok, Shego, I barely know you, but maybe you can give me some perspective. The name's Kim. I've pretty much been pulled apart in different directions as to what I should do with my future. I'm fresh out of college with a criminology degree mostly because it was expected of me to do something related to crime-fighting."

Shego grunted, "Why not be a cop?"

"That's the problem. That's  _expected_  of me... No one's bothered to ask me what  _I_  want to do."

"So what do you want to do?"

Kim blinked. No one asked her that question. Shego just did. Kim suddenly felt like the weight of the world was lifted off her shoulders when the question was asked. She didn't feel like she had to keep her dreams secret from the world and just stared at the floor blankly for a few minutes.

"Earth to Princess, still with me here? I asked you what you want to do with your life?"

Kim looked up to green eyes staring at her.  _It's like she's staring into my soul_. Kim shook her head and just laughed.

"...I don't know."

"So. You have issues where you can't please everyone, not even yourself. You want to be happy with your life, but you don't know what you should do first."

Oddly enough, that was exactly what Kim was feeling. She tilted her head to the side and continued looking at Shego's green eyes.

Shego laughed. "Listen, kid, I've been there, done that. Look where I am now."

"I'm not a kid!" Kim retored. "Besides, I don't have that much money to spend on guitars and amps, so clearly I'm not following in your footsteps."

"I wasn't asking you to."

"Oh."

"Look, Kim. It's true that you can't please everyone in your life, but you should at least figure out what you want to do. For yourself. It might seem that you don't know where you'll end up or what will happen, but isn't that what makes life fun? The not-knowing part is worth your while to carve out your own path. You end up liking some things you do and sometimes you might regretting a few. Shit happens, Princess, so let loose."

Kim was silent for a few minutes. How could a complete stranger give her the best advice she's ever heard? She didn't want to be stuck in this perpetual cycle of pleasing her parents, her friends, her family, and, to an extent, the world. Who were they to decide how she had to lead her life and what she had to do to be happy?

Kim murmured a soft "Thanks, Shego" and unconsciously gripped the guitar in her hand.

Noting that Kim seemed to be a bit phased out with how their conversation turned out, Shego shrugged and picked up one of her bass guitars. She started strumming the "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" bass line, prompting Kim to pick up where she left off.

_Making loud music_

_We're making loud music_

_We're making loud music_

_You and I_

_So loud, so (loud)_

Before they both knew it, they had played classic songs for three hours straight. Suddenly an annoying ringtone brought them both out of their funk.

Beep beep beep beep.

Kim sheepishly smiled at Shego and answered her cell phone.

"Hi Mom. Oh? I'm over at friend's place..." She looked at her watch and then at Shego, and shrugged. It was close to midnight. "Uh, yeah, sorry, I should've called earlier." She scrunched up her face in thought when her mom asked her something and then looked back at Shego. "Actually, it's ok, I think can sleep over tonight." She mouthed 'please' at Shego, hoping that the green-skinned woman would let her. Shego gave her a curt nod. "Yeah, it's ok, Mom. I'll call you in the morning, ok? Thanks. Love you too."

Kim bit her lip. "Uh, sorry, my mom called... I think we both lost track of time..."

"It's cool, Princess, you can crash my place tonight." Shego shrugged.

"Are you sure? I mean, we barely know each other. Doesn't it bother you that you're letting a complete stranger stay the night?"

"Relax. If you weren't so talented with playing the guitar, I would've kicked your pretty little ass out ages ago." Shego smirked. "Been practising much?"

"I got a guitar as a high school graduation gift from my Uncle Slim," answered Kim. "I brought it with me when I went to college, and played every now and then."

"You're a bit sloppy when you're changing chords quickly, but with some practise, you'll get better."

Kim blushed. It wasn't every day that someone complimented her guitar playing, so she was grateful that Shego was much more appreciative than her usual audience: herself.

"So how long have you been playing guitar?"

"Hmm, fourteen, I'd say? My first guitar was a high school gift." Shego patted a nicely finished custom lime-green Gibson Hummingbird on her guitar rack. "Been playing since."

"You ever do gigs? You have so many different kinds of guitars, surely you've done some."

"Yeah, an odd one here and there. Not my thing, I don't like singing."

"Just because you play, doesn't mean you have to sing."

"That's true, but usually people want to hear some sort of vocals to back it up." Shego thought for a moment. "You sing, Princess?"

Kim paled. "Uh… I did. My voice isn't great."

Shego chuckled. "Why the scared look?"

"Thought of some embarrassing moments involving the talent show in high school."

Shego raised an eyebrow, but dropped her next question.

"Anyway, time to put this stuff away. Else your mommy's going to wonder why you got no sleep when she sees you tomorrow," Shego joked.

Kim chuckled. "There are other reasons why I'd be getting no sleep tonight anyway."

Shego looked at her with amusement. Before she knew it, Kim was scarlet. She stuttered, "I didn't mean it that way… I was just thinking that I'd probably not sleep well on the couch."

"Princesses usually don't have their mind in the gutters, do they?" chuckled Shego. "Besides, I have an extra futon, so you won't be sleeping on my oh-so-uncomfortable couch."

Kim smiled. She came to the realization that Shego's not as bad as her image portrays.  _She's pretty nice. And pretty._

The rest of the night was uneventful. Both had forgotten about dinner (their stomachs would reprimand them in the morning), so they both went straight to bed. Kim didn't bother asking Shego for a change of clothes since she was leaving in the morning anyway. After saying good night, Shego retreated to her room to reflect on her new 'friend'.  _Was Kim a friend? I mean, we only just met and pretty much jammed on the guitars for a while. It was pretty fun. The kid reminds me of myself when I was younger_. With that thought in mind, Shego crawled onto her bed and quickly drifted off to sleep. Kim was quite comfortable sleeping on the futon, and before she knew it, she was out like a light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far. I'd greatly appreciate it. :) I'm posting this earlier than I wanted to since I'll be away this weekend and figured it was about time for an update.


	3. Call Me, Beep Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far. I'd greatly appreciate it. :)

The next morning, Kim awoke to the smell of very strong coffee. She rubbed her eyes and looked around.  _Oh right, I'm not home. I guess Shego's up if she made coffee._  She rolled off the futon and staggered over to the kitchen. Shego was leaning on the counter holding a cup of coffee, deep in thought. She noticed the redhead, whose hair was now very messy, walk in.

"Sleep well, Princess?"

Kim simply nodded.

Shego smirked.  _Guess she isn't really much of a morning person._  "Help yourself to some coffee." She motioned to an empty mug on the counter.

The redhead slowly made her way to the counter and poured herself a cup. A small carton of milk and a few sugar cubes were laid out beside the coffee maker for her already. Kim took her coffee with one sugar cube and a small helping of milk. She quickly drained her mug and felt a bit refreshed.

At that moment, Shego spoke, "Want to grab breakfast before I drop you home? We didn't eat anything last night and my stomach sure ain't happy."

Kim smiled. "That'd be spankin'!"

Ignoring whatever teenage hipster word the redhead used, Shego nodded and motioned the redhead to the door.

Fifteen minutes later, Kim found herself in an old-school diner where they served breakfast foods all day. After a plate of scrambled eggs and sausages and another cup of coffee (albeit not as good as the one she had at Shego's), Kim looked up to speak to her benefactor.

"Thanks for letting me crash your place last night."

"It's nothing."

"No, really, thank you. I would have been in deep trouble if my parents found out."

"Huh." Shego scoffed. "You're what, twenty-one? Twenty-two? And you still have a curfew?"

"Twenty-one. And it's not a curfew, they just want me to call and stuff. Just to make sure I'm ok."

"Must suck to have them breathe down your neck every now and then. The day I moved out was probably the second-best day of my life."

Kim had a confused look on her face.

"First-best being the day I got my first guitar, of course."

Kim nodded in understanding. "Well, parents will be parents, I guess. But thanks anyway."

Shego smirked. "You're just lucky I'm not some perverted old hag who picks up cute chicks by complimenting their taste in fashion."

"You're anything but a hag!" blurted Kim. Sheepishly, she added, "You're actually very pretty…" Her cheeks turned a light pink colour.

"Ah, but the Princess did not say I am not perverted," Shego chuckled.

Kim turned a darker shade of red before Shego howled out in laughter.

"It's ok, Kimmie. I'm just messing with you."

"Can I ask you something, Shego?"

Shego gave Kim a look to proceed.

"What's with the nicknames?"

"You got a problem with them?"

"Er, I was just wondering why you like calling me 'Princess'? I'm anything but a princess."

"Being pampered and cared for at twenty-one makes it seem like you're a princess to me."

Kim opened her mouth to argue, but then stopped. She looked at her watch.  _10 o'clock. I should call home._  She shrugged at Shego, pulled out her cell phone, and dialled her house number.

"Hi Dad! I'm on my way home now. I'll be there in about fifteen to half an hour. Ok. Love you. Bye."

Kim paid for breakfast – it was the least she could do since Shego let her sleep over – and soon they were on their way to the Possible residence. Kim gave directions when needed and Shego pulled up a block away from the house to prevent the Drs Possible from asking Kim any questions if she pulled up in their driveway instead.

Awkward silence surrounded the two until Kim decided to speak.

"Um, thanks for yesterday. It was actually pretty fun to play guitar with someone else."

"Yeah, likewise."

"I guess, see you around?"

Kim fumbled on the door lock when Shego spoke.

"If you ever want to jam again, I guess you know where to find me. If not, here are my digits." Shego handed Kim a folded slip of paper. Kim smiled and accepted the paper. She got out of Shego's truck and waved before running down the block.

Shego sat back in her truck and sighed.  _Why'd you do that, Shego? Give her your number? That was so uncool. I really did have fun yesterday, though. Been a while since I've played with anyone._  Looking down the block to see the redhead disappear around the curb, she started up her truck, did a three-point turn, and headed in the opposite direction.


	4. Tommy Tutone and Jenny

Thankfully, when Kim got home, her parents did not ask her questions. Not a lot, anyway.

"Ah, Kimmie-cub, there you are," her father exclaimed when he heard the front door close. "Come in the kitchen, Mom made pancakes and there are some leftover."

Kim walked into the kitchen to see her parents reading the paper at the table. She sat down with them and shook her head. "Sorry Dad, I had breakfast already."

James shrugged. "So whose place did you sleep over at? Monique's?"

"Uh, no, not Mon's."

James raised an eyebrow. "Were you hanging out with a boy?" James did realize that his only daughter had grown up and could make decisions for herself, but it was also in his best interest to look out for her when needed.

"No, Dad." Kim thought she might as well throw it out that she made a new friend. " _Her_  name is Shego. We were playing guitar yesterday and lost track of time."

"I didn't see you take your guitar with you when you went out yesterday, honey," her mom replied.

"Shego's got a bunch of guitars, so I just used one of hers."

"Kimmie-cub, if you have all this time to play guitars, maybe you should start looking for a job?" asked James.

"...Dad, I just graduated, I want to take a bit of a break right now." Kim shrugged. She didn't really want to hear her parents nag at her about finding a job. She just wasn't ready to "launch her career" - heck, she didn't even know what to do with her degree. She just wanted to have some fun for a bit and then eventually look for a job.

Anne, sensing her daughter's indecision and growing agitation about the topic, decided to interrupt the conversation before provoking the younger redhead any further. "How long have you known Shego? This seems to be the first time you've mentioned her."

Kim bit her didn't want to lie about how she met Shego, but she didn't want to tell her parents the truth either.  _They'd just freak out because it would sound like a complete stranger picked up me on the curb. Which is true, but still..._  Kim decided to play it safe by telling a white lie.  _Heck, it's not really lying if I stretch the truth. Just a bit._  "Oh, I've known her for a bit, we met in college, so she called me up yesterday out of the blue and asked if we could hang out." Kim hastily added a "I'm sorry. I should've told you I'd be staying over."

If there was one thing Kim picked up in college, it was lying. In high school, she wasn't very good at being convincing, so others could see through her lies immediately. In college, however, she sometimes had to get herself out of very awkward and unwelcome situations (especially at frat parties), so she managed to work her way at being a very convincing liar. Somewhat.

Thankfully, both of her parents bought the lie and let Kim off the hook.

Kim went upstairs to her room to shower and change out of her day-old clothes. When she was done, she pulled out and unfolded the slip of paper that Shego had given her.

A phone number was hastily scribbled on the inside of the paper. "867-5309."

Kim smiled. She inputted the number in her cell phone and thought it might be better to send a text message.  _Shego could be driving right now, I don't want to disturb her if she is on the road._  She typed up her message and sent it, hoping to get a response from her new green-skinned friend.

KPKPKPKPKP

_What we got feels so good_

_Like I'm climbing a stairway to heaven_

_And it turns me on_

_When we dial it up all the way to eleven_

Shego returned home immediately after dropping Kim off. She was lounging on the couch and tuning one of her acoustic guitars when she heard her cell phone chirp once. She looked over to the coffee table at her green and black cell phone, and noticed that an indicator light was on. She picked up her cell phone and saw the words "1 New Message" flash before her eyes on the external LCD. She flipped open her phone to access her inbox.

"Thanks again! I owe you one. - Kim"

Shego smirked.  _You owe me one, eh? I should give you guitar lessons, ha!_  She pondered for a bit before typing up a reply.

"Pleasure's all mine, Princess."

Shego's finger hovered above the send button.  _Short and simple. I hope she doesn't actually expect me to ask her for a favour._  True to her 'badass' image, Shego didn't like to get too close to people - she had been hurt in the past because she was so warm and welcoming. Normally, she wouldn't have even let someone come into her apartment to check out her guitars, let alone touch them, but there was something alluring about the redhead she met on the street - no, she didn't really 'meet' her on the street, more like thought she was good eye candy and wanted to flatter the poor girl into embarrassment.

Initially surprised by the redhead's retort to her flattery, Shego was intrigued by the girl. Normally, people would scoff at her if she made some kind of (un)flattering comment about their attire, but Kim seemed like she didn't mind the comment at all. "I wish I'd seen Hendrix play" was what Kim said. That told Shego one of two things: one, the redhead was not as uncultured as Shego thought, and two, the redhead honestly appreciated the comment about her Hendrix t-shirt.

In the heat of the moment, 'picking up' the redhead off the street seemed like a bloody smart idea for Shego. She was further surprised when the redhead did manage to play a wide range of classic rock songs on her guitar. Shego secretly enjoyed those few hours they had; she had been getting sick of hearing herself play, so it was nice to have someone play along with her after so long.

It's been six years since I've had a partner, Shego mused.

She hit the send button.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shego's cell phone number is a direct reference to Tommy Tutone's pop song "867-5309 (Jenny)". The chorus is really catchy with the phone number. I figured I'll try to put in some song references in the story - either with the chapter titles or somewhere embedded in the text.


	5. Stairway to Heaven

It was two weeks after Kim and Shego's encounter. The Middleton Community Centre was having a talent show to fundraise the city's new initiative to help underprivileged youth enrol in extracurricular activities. First prize was a small trophy and a five hundred dollar cash prize, all of which was to be donated to the new fund. Being the good-natured individual that she was, Kim signed up for the talent show. But what was her act?

After much deliberation, she decided to put her musical skills to the test and signed up to play a song on stage. She had practised for many hours in her room to the point where her parents thought it was bizarre that their daughter was not her regular out-going self.

A few days before the talent show, Kim sent a text message to Shego: "I'm playing in the talent show at the Middleton Community Centre this Friday night. Show starts at 7PM. $5 at the door. See you there. - KP"

Kim hoped that her new friend would show, mostly because Shego had commented that Kim was talented with playing the guitar and had given her some interesting insight on her life. Everyone else had been rather dismissive of Kim's guitar playing, giving her the same reason that it wouldn't get her anywhere with her career in criminology and that she should redirect her efforts elsewhere.

Kim was allotted the very last spot in the talent show, so she had time to soothe her nerves before her turn. She had never overcome her stage fright since high school, and had been somewhat nervous that others would be derisive of her musical abilities, especially in the vocal department. Kim felt liberated tonight, however, since this was something she wanted to do and she wanted to prove to herself that she could overcome her stage fright.

Her name was called and Kim emerged from backstage and sat on the stool in the middle of the stage. She looked around hesitantly at first since the spotlight was shining down and obscuring her view of the audience. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust and she began scanning the audience for Shego.  _She's not there... Figures. Guess she didn't want to hear me play. Probably it's because I'm still a novice who can't change chords properly without mucking it up._  Kim sighed. This wasn't going as planned. She originally wanted to do an acoustic version of the same song she sang in high school, "Say the Word", but now that her mood was dampened, a change in plan was needed.

She swallowed and spoke into the microphone.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm afraid I'm going to play a different song than what was mentioned by our hosts. I wrote this up fairly quickly, so bear with me if it sounds rather, uh, unpolished."

Kim picked up her guitar, cleared her throat, and began playing a slow melody. Then, she started singing.

_And now and then I get to wonderin'_

_What would have happen if we never met_

_I don't know_

_You take a drag of your cigarette_

_And drivin' too fast with some Zeppelin on, oh oh_

_You know you had me at "cool t-shirt, babe"_

_I said I wished that I'd seen Hendrix play_

_You took me home to see your new guitar_

_Turning it up, shook me all night long_

_Making loud music_

_We're making loud music_

_We're making loud music_

_You and I_

_So loud, so (loud)_

_What we got feels so good_

_Like I'm climbing a stairway to heaven_

_And it turns me on_

_When we dial it up all the way to eleven_

_Making loud music_

_We're making loud music_

_We're making loud music_

_You and I_

_So loud, so (loud)_

Kim finished the song with a slightly exaggerated riff on her guitar (one can only do so much with an acoustic guitar) and sheepishly bowed to the audience. Stunned by her showmanship of skill and her improved singing voice, the audience erupted in applause and Kim left the stage to let the judges deliberate on the victor.

Within half an hour, a short, stout man, known to the public as the mayor of Middleton, announced the winners. "In third place, we have Miss Kimberly Possible for her original song." Applause and cheers from the Possible family could be heard. "In second place, we have Mr. Joshua Mankey for his interesting poetic display of why we should help underprivileged children explore the arts." Snapping of fingers could be heard in the audience. "Finally, in first place, we have Big Mike and his mime act." Only shocked gasps could be heard, then whispers in confusion, and finally, hesitant applause. Big Mike was given the trophy (after kneeling down to the mayor's height) and the night's festivities were over.

Just as Kim was about to exit the community centre, a sweatshirt-and-sweatpants-clad (and also hooded) figure walked over to her.

"Nice song, Princess."

Kim blinked. "Shego?"

The figure pulled back the sweatshirt's hood. "Doy, who else could it be?" Shego smirked. "Still a bit clumsy with the chords, but the song was good. Nice voice, too."

Kim grinned. "I practised lots and that's all I get? 'Nice song and nice voice'? Though... I did change my mind about what to sing when I got on stage..."

Shego shrugged. "It was good, Princess. You don't give yourself enough credit for your hard work."

Smiling, Kim decided to ask about Shego's interesting outfit. "What's with the get-up?"

"Didn't want you to know I was there. After all, you did invite me to see you play."

Kim didn't understand Shego's logic. "Huh?"

"If you had seen me in the audience, I can safely bet you would've been a lot more nervous than you should've been."

"What makes you think that?" exclaimed Kim. To have Shego make such a statement was... insulting.

"Doy, Cupcake, you probably would've screwed up if you knew I was watching because I commented on your guitar playing before. You're the type who seems like you always have something to prove when critiqued."

Kim frowned. That was a fairly accurate assessment. "Well, did you like my performance?" She hesitated asking, but then quickly spat out a "never mind" and proceeded to walk out the door.

Shego grabbed her arm to stop her. "Kimmie, I have an offer to make you."

Kim cocked her head to the side.

Shego continued, "You owe me a favour, don't you?" Kim nodded. "Well, let me teach you how to play guitar  _properly_  and then, if I think you're good enough, you play some gigs with me. Capische?"

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. I told you before, Princess, you have talent. You might as well harness it and improve on it if you want to get somewhere with your songs."

"Why me? There are other people who are definitely better than me. Plus, this is just a hobby... I play for fun." Kim shrugged. It was the truth. Playing guitar did free her from the constraints of the 'real world' and her career.

Shego shook her head. "Kid, you just don't get it. Even your own song gives you away." She go cleared her throat and proceeded to recite the lyrics that Kim sang, "What we got feels so good / Like I'm climbing a stairway to heaven / And it turns me on / When we dial it up all the way to eleven / _Making loud music_."

Kim stared at Shego.

"Look, if you didn't feel so strongly about playing guitar, I don't think you would've sung that out loud tonight. If my hunch is correct, you like playing your guitar. You really liked playing guitar  _with me_  that day. And I know you want to play some more, don't you?" Shego looked into Kim's eyes.

Kim shrugged. "Playing guitar is just a hobby. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Yet you're scared on what to do with your future and who you should please with your choices. It's your life, Princess, you can do whatever the hell you want with it. If what you say is true and all you do is play guitar for fun, what have you got to lose if you just take some lessons from me?"

Kim opened her mouth to answer that she had better things to do instead of playing guitar, but she couldn't find herself to say that.  _I really do like playing guitar... Shego's right, what do I have to lose if I just take some lessons? I mean, it's not like I'm applying for jobs like crazy right now... Just need some time to relax and think about what I should do._

"Ok, fine. I'll take you up on your offer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your reference, here's a live acoustic version of Michelle Branch's "Loud Music" to go with this chapter: http :/ / youtu. be/8YKuoGu68co
> 
> I excluded a verse or two from the lyrics in this chapter because the song is unfinished to Kim at this point of the story.
> 
> I'm actually not too sure about this chapter. Shego's offer seems like it came out of nowhere, but, heck, I'm not even sure where the plot is going at this point! =) Again, reviews are appreciated and let me know what you think of the story so far!


	6. I Believe In Yesterday

After about a month of lessons and non-stop practice, the duo were scouted by Roland, the Oh Boyz' manager, when he stopped by the Middleton Bueno Nacho branch for a quick bite. Kim and Shego were holding a small gig to help fundraise money to assist burn patients at Middleton General Hospital. Roland happened to walk in the moment they were rocking out on their guitars (playing crazy riffs, of course) and waited until the show was over to approach them with a contract. Teen pop was out (as evidenced with the turbulent success and failure with the Oh Boyz), so indie rock was the way to go.

Shego, the wiser of the two, had turned down Roland's offer immediately because she wanted to do things from scratch. "Play a couple of gigs, send some demos, and then get signed," she had said. Kim and Roland agreed to these conditions and Roland simply left them with a business card.

A few weeks later, Roland called them (he had contacts of sorts, so he managed to get Kim's house number) and offered them a gig at the Rainbow Trout Bar, one of Go City's famous bars. Shego, being from Go City and knowing of the bar's popularity, immediately said yes and the two were now on their way to the city.

"I still wish we took up Roland's offer of getting us a ride to Go City."

"Aw, Pumpkin doesn't like my truck?"

"...It's such a long drive to Go City, Shego! Especially in this old contraption you call a truck."

"Oy, Princess, don't diss the truck. Otherwise you're going to sit in the back for the rest of the ride."

"Shego! That's... illegal, we'll get in trouble. I'm sitting in the front with you."

"Ah, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes now sees the light," Shego teased. "Diss the truck again and you'll end up in the back with our equipment."

Kim frowned and nodded her head in agreement. They both climbed in and off they went to Go City.

Kim started to think about the nature of their 'relationship' during the ride (it was four hours, after all).

* * *

Kim really did not know what she signed up for when she agreed to take guitar lessons from Shego. She thought it'd be your typical music lesson: the teacher demonstrates how to play the instrument, asks the student to play, and corrects the student as she goes along. That's how it's supposed to go, right?

Much to Kim's surprise, Shego was more of a slave-driver than anything she could possibly imagine in a music "teacher". All those hours of countless repetitive strumming, chord changing, and lack of actual repertoire made Kim wonder what she could benefit from having very, very sore fingers. Kim did believe in the 'practice-makes-perfect' mantra when it came to music, but this was too ridiculous for her. After a week of playing these exercises until her fingers started developing calluses, Kim snapped.

"Shego, what the hell are you making me do? All these exercises won't help me be a better guitar player! You're making me screw up my fingers!"

"Princess, practice makes perfect."

"Yeah, but what the hell, you haven't given me any real music to play!"

"Real music? You want real music? You're just a newbie, you're going to have to work your way up if you want to play real music!"

Kim put down her guitar and glared at Shego. "This is ridiculous. How am I supposed to enjoy playing the guitar if I'm not having any fun?"

Shego raised an eyebrow. "You want to have fun?"

Kim nodded.

Shego sighed. "Look, kid..." Kim shot her another dirty look. "Look,  _Kim_ , if you want to get better, you just have to drill yourself until you do well."

"I know that, but these drills are so boring. They're  _so_   _not_  what I expected when you told me to take lessons from you. Can't we at least play some real songs every now and then?"

"So playing 'real' songs equates to 'fun' for you?" Another nod from the redhead.  _Might as well indulge her for now and get her to stick around for a little while longer_. "All right, we'll do things your way. Your chord progressions have improved." The redhead smiled. "Just a bit." A pout formed on Kim's mouth. "Are you going to keep pouting or will I have to make you do more drills?"

Kim puffed up her cheeks and pretended to be upset. Shego merely laughed at the redhead, grabbed her Psychedelic Flying V from the guitar stand and hooked it up to an amp. Like she had done every day since her lessons began, Kim brought her Tobacco Sunburst Taylor 614ce guitar with her whenever she went over to Shego's apartment. Kim took up her guitar again and waited for Shego to start playing.

"What are you in the mood for, Princess?" Shego asked in a soft tone. Normally, she'd just force Kim to play whatever chord she felt like hearing when the redhead came over, but she decided to let Kim lead tonight.

Kim thought for a bit. "How about... The Beatles? Specifically, 'Yesterday'?"

"Wow, this is way too mellow for my tastes, Pumpkin." Noticing that the redhead remained silent, Shego silently conceded that she should go along with the redhead's choice. The two women were in Shego's living room - Kim on the couch and Shego on the loveseat. On the coffee table were sheets of music, some of which had scribbles to indicate to Kim which chords should be practiced, and Shego's laptop. "Give me a second to look up the chords." Shego typed a few things onto her laptop and strummed a few chords. "Ok, let's do this. On the count of three. One, two, three."

Shego was a bit surprised when Kim started to sing along to their strumming. Kim's voice was fairly soft and sounded a bit sad as she sung along. The only time Shego heard Kim sing was at the talent show, and that song happened to be fairly upbeat, so she wondered why Kim was singing with such heartfelt sadness. When the song was over, she noticed that Kim sat transfixed and unmoving on her living room sofa.

Shego put her guitar aside and moved over the couch. "What's up, Princess? You've been moody and rude to me tonight, and now you're just spacing out." Noticing that Kim didn't say anything, Shego sighed.  _Something's bothering her. It's not really my place to ask questions. I'm not really a friend to her, am I?_

"Look, Kimmie, you're probably mad at me for making you do all those exercises, but it's just how I was taught how to play guitar... well, more like that's how I pushed myself to be better. If this is too rough for you, then we'll do something more... structured... like a real music lesson."

Kim blinked.  _Aw crap, I phased out again. Wait, is Shego apologizing to me?_  She interrupted the green-skinned woman. "Uh, Shego, stop." She turned to look Shego in the eye. "My phasing out had nothing to do with the lesson, I'm sorry for being so rude like this. It's just that... when we were playing 'Yesterday', I was just suddenly reminded of a time that I don't really want to remember."

Shego blinked.  _Dang it, Shego, get a grip. The kid is just messed up. Definitely messed up. You did nothing wrong. Nothing wrong. Don't you go all soft and mushy on her._  She cleared her throat. "Ah, I see..."  _Should I ask her what's wrong? Wouldn't hurt to try? We're not friends though..._  Before Shego could think any further, she blurted out, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Kim's reply actually caught Shego off-guard. "No, not really."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rainbow Trout Bar, really? I couldn't think of a better name. Plus, I wanted to pay homage to the rainbow comet that made Team Go who they are. So the bar name had to be 'Rainbow'-something or another. The first thing I thought of was trout, haha.
> 
> Here is a link to a picture of what Kim's guitar looks like (http :/ / bit . ly / no5XzF). The sunburst pattern reminds me of Kim's fiery red hair (well, not as red as I'd hope, but this guitar does remind me of her).
> 
> I've made it a habit of writing while listening to music, and 'Yesterday' by The Beatles started playing. Or did I write this after I listened to the song? I don't remember. Anyway, the next chapter will give some background on one or both of these lovely ladies.


	7. Anything But Ordinary

Shego raised an eyebrow.  _All right, little Miss Priss isn't going to talk, so I guess I should throw her out for the night_. She sighed and frowned. "All right, lesson's over. Now scram, kid. I don't want you moping in my place. Do it at home." She made a hand gesture to let Kim know it was time to go.

The redhead had her head down, with her hair covering her face, so she could not see Shego dropping her a very obvious hint to go home.  _Aw crap, I think I upset her some more. Is she crying? Dammit, Shego, you're going soft._

Shego spoke with a gentler voice this time. "Kimmie, lesson's over, time to go home." She was about to put a hand on Kim's shoulder to try to 'comfort' the girl, but suddenly recoiled when she was hit by Kim's puppy dog pout.

"Gah! Kimmie! What the fuck is that?"

"Can I sleep over tonight?"

Shego pretended to think for a second. "No."

Cue puppy dog pout at level 9 'poutiness'.

"Ugh, what the fuck is wrong with your face?"

Crank it up a notch to level 11.

"Fine, fine, just stop doing that. You're gonna wreck your face if you keep pouting."

Kim chuckled. "Thanks."

"Don't think me just yet, Princess. One condition."

"I have to sleep on the futon again?"

"Doy, of course you have to sleep on the futon. Tell me what's up with your weird mood swing and I'll let you stay the night."

Kim hesitated for a second. "On second thought, I'm going to go home." She headed towards the door with her guitar in hand.

Shego sighed.  _Do I really care what's up with the kid? If she doesn't want to talk about it, she won't. I can't make her. I, of all people, should know something like that._

Kim was about to reach for the door knob when Shego spoke.

"Wait."

Kim turned around to see Shego shifting around on her feet uncomfortably.

"It's personal, isn't it?"

Kim bit her lip and let out a soft "Yeah."

"All right, don't tell me if you don't want to, you can stay if you still want to." With that, Shego huffed, snatched up her guitar, and went straight to her music room.

* * *

_Silly brat's making me soft. Reminds me of Rachel when I first met her. All emotional and shit, but the girl could sing. Wonder how_ she _'s doing now..._ Shego shook herself from her thoughts. Had it really been that long? Six years?

Upon receiving her first guitar at fourteen, Shego was in awe. Such a beautifully crafted instrument produced such divine sounds. She enlisted herself in acoustic guitar boot camp (well, that's what she called it), which included repetitive strumming and chord changing for countless hours every day - the very same thing she was making Kim do every time the redhead was over at her apartment.

To say that Shego fell in love with music and guitars was an understatement. Playing the guitar became her life in high school, her dream was to make it big, and she wanted to be known for being a skilled guitar player and not just another pretty face.

True to her current physique, Shego had developed more quickly than other girls in her high school class. Boys fawned over her, girls fawned over her, pretty much anything that moved fawned over her. It didn't help, however, when that multi-coloured comet crashed into her treehouse and gave her skin a green tint. The plasma powers? Well, Shego liked to keep that a secret. After all, the green skin already made her weird enough; she got even more stares at school after that incident.

So, at the young age of fourteen, Shego decided that music was her passion. She channelled her emotions by playing the guitar; even more so after the comet came and 'blessed' her and her brothers with superhuman powers. Nobody wants to be a freak; everyone wants to be normal.

Normalcy is what Shego sought. Guitar playing seemed like a normal hobby. Even after being green and getting used to the stares, Shego still hung onto that dream. So she sent in some demo tapes of her own work recorded from the confines of her room. Her parents obviously weren't too happy when they found out a major record label wanted their only daughter to sign a record contract. They pushed it until Shego was sixteen because they wanted their daughter to "grow up a bit" and to, emotionally and mentally, settle with the fact that she was now "physically different" from the rest of society.

Surprisingly enough for Shego, the record company was rather patient with her parents' requests. According to the CEO, Shego was a "raw talent waiting to be discovered by the public" and had a "knack" with playing the guitar. So during the two year wait, the record company funded most of Shego's guitar lessons to help her improve her skills steadily. The CEO thought of this sponsorship as a long-term investment, which did end up becoming somewhat true by the time Shego quit the professional music industry.

What Shego didn't expect when she finally signed her record deal was that she was paired with a shy girl of sixteen who had a "voice from the heavens." Rachel was the same age as Shego when she signed her contract, so the two girls got along fine with respect to 'teenage' things, such as boys, make-up, and fashion. When it came to making music, however, they would often get into fights about who would write the lyrics and do the accompanying guitar arrangement. Rachel came from a family of musicians, so she was well-versed in many instruments, especially the guitar; naturally, Shego thought Rachel to be a bit stuck-up in the guitar department and would make crude remarks about how Rachel was riding the "coattails of her family's success" and had "no talent."

Shego, being Shego, was oblivious by how much those words hurt Rachel, so their professional partnership got off to a very rocky start. It did get to the point where their manager had to intervene, call their parents, and ask them (very nicely) to make up. Blinded by her prejudice, Shego reluctantly accepted to call a truce with Rachel, but still managed to get into arguments with her since she did not do so well with writing lyrics to the music. Rachel had noticed that Shego was very passionate about playing the guitar, so she decided to relinquish her role in arranging the music in order to prevent them from fighting any further. This worked out much to the duo's benefit since Rachel could easily write the lyrics to songs that Shego composed. Perhaps it was Rachel's voice, or her ingenuity with pen and paper, that convinced Shego to let Rachel be the lyricist. Both girls were in this band together, and both should have an equal and fair share of the work.

The first two months of having the girls bicker about the music made them forget about something important: the band name! How were they going to market themselves if they didn't have a band name? It was only until the record company's CEO made a comment that both girls were physically 'green.' Rachel had auburn, shoulder-length hair with a matching set of green eyes, and somewhat pale creamy skin. In contrast, Shego had the pale green skin, with a pair of dark green eyes to match her ivory long hair.

"We're both WHAT?" Shego exclaimed.

"...green?" Rachel was a bit uneasy about talking about the colour, mostly because she wasn't sure how Shego would react to the topic since Shego was the one who was  _literally_  green.

Shego stared hard at Rachel's face for a few minutes. It made Rachel uneasy that Shego was concentrating so much on her face. Shego broke off eye contact and muttered something indiscernible.

Rachel hesitantly asked, "I'm sorry, Shego, can you repeat that?"

"I said, the old fart is right. Sort of, anyway. You have green eyes. And I'm just... green."

"So we should call ourselves 'Green'?"

Shego shook her head. "Lame."

"How about 'Clover'? Clovers are green and some of them bring good luck!"

"Ok, Rachel, no, that was cheesy. 'Clover' is already taken by a country rock band..."

"Oh."

Shego scratched her chin. The girls were inside the recording studio putting finishing touches on their debut CD, so there were some computers in the room. Shego went over to one of them as Rachel peered over her shoulder.

"What the heck? You're looking up synonyms for the word 'green'? That's just as lame as my suggestions."

Shego ignored Rachel's comment while she scanned the list. "Viridian."

"What?"

"How does 'Viridian' sound to you?"

"...It actually sounds ok. I still prefer 'Clover', but you said it's already taken, so... I guess we can use 'Viridian.'"

The record company wanted to test the waters with 'Viridian.' They weren't sure what kind of audience the duo's music was targeted towards, so the girls' first gig before their official debut was in a small coffee shop in Go City.

Of course, upon hearing about Viridian's first gig, Rachel's family took up several tables at the coffee shop, whereas none of Shego's family came. Shego's parents let their daughter follow her passions, but they weren't too excited for her, nor were they disappointed in her. Yet, they felt that this was something their daughter wanted to do, and so be it. They had other priorities in life at the moment, such as raising the twins and making sure Hego got into his accepted colleges, and Shego understood that. Her parents had been supportive of her in their own weird ways, so Shego didn't mind that none of her family was there to support her. She got along fine with her twin brothers since they were the youngest and most sheltered from their older brothers' antics; Mego was often full of himself, so she chose to ignore him; and Hego lived in his own weird world that revolved around self-righteousness and justice. She felt the most 'normal' of her siblings and constantly made sure her parents knew about that. Getting signed with a record contract and being able to play gigs was an odd way of expressing one's self-confidence and assertiveness, but this was the way Shego wanted to do it and so it was.

The gig had gone over well - the girls played acoustic sets of their songs, most of which were rather heartfelt and emotional. Normally, Shego would never play along to such sad music, but Rachel's voice could work wonders with emotional songs. Sometimes it was the way she sang, sometimes it was the lyrics, and sometimes it was just a combination of the guitar arrangement and the general 'feel' of the song.

And so, that started Viridian's journey into topping the indie pop/rock charts. They managed to tour many different places over the span of four years. They released four albums - one for every year the duo were together - until their inevitable end. Rachel had classical training in playing instruments, and not singing, so when she contracted chronic laryngitis, doctors had advised her to take a long hiatus from singing in order for her to recover completely. Viridian's disbandment, thankfully, was affable to say the least - Shego couldn't really blame Rachel for their split. They were just two girls who loved music and wanted to make music.

"Shit like this happens, Rachel, it's ok."

"I'm really sorry..." Rachel was crying. She had blamed herself for not properly taking care of her vocal chords by not resting enough and doing more gigs than she could handle.

"Shh, it's ok." Shego was hugging Rachel, hoping that the contact would soothe the other girl. They had become very close friends in the span of four years, and while Shego was sad to see this chapter of her life come to a close, she was also wondering what would happen to her in the future.

 _To think, we both went our separate ways and here I am six years later dealing with another emotional redhead. Life is_ great _._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Both Kim and Shego are so PMS-y in this chapter, haha. For the record, in present day, Kim is 21 and Shego is 26. I don't want them to have a big age difference in this story and have always thought Shego was about 5 or 6 years older than Kim in the TV series.
> 
> I'm not too sure about the narration here with Shego's past. Sounds a bit weird to me with the random flashbacks and narrative, but I didn't want to write it from her point of view. I wasn't sure how detailed it should've been, but if needed, I'll flesh it out some more in a later chapter. Shego seems a bit out of character in the flashbacks; I'm trying to make her more compassionate than what one would expect. I don't really know how big of an influence Rachel will be with the rest of the story, but we'll see as it progresses... With respect to Shego's plasma powers, I'm not sure how to factor them into this story at this point, so I won't mention them unless something happens.
> 
> Also, school starts in a few days, so the updates might not be as frequent, but I'll try my best to still have a chapter up every one to two weeks.
> 
> Next up: will Kim stay at Shego's or go?


	8. Should I Stay or Should I Go

Kim heard the door to Shego's music room slam shut and remained standing with her guitar in hand.  _Ok, that was ... awkweird? Shego actually wanted to talk to me about whatever "issues"_  (Kim made air quotation marks with her hands)  _I have right now._

_Shouldn't I be a bit grateful for that? I mean, we're sort of friends... Sort of? I don't know, my parents think we're friends because I keep telling them I'm going over to Shego's place to practise playing guitar. I know Dad wants to say something to me about how I should start looking for jobs and whatnot, but playing guitar is fun... Well, it was the first time 'round with Shego. Right now she's just making me slave away on chord progressions. I wonder if I'm any better than when I first started out._

_Anyway, what should I do? I think Shego's mad at me._ Kim walked back to the living room and looked around. The coffee table was in total disarray, so she decided to clean up the mess; she put down her guitar on the couch and started putting all the papers together. She eyed all the red marks that Shego had made on all of the sheet music she was organizing.  _Huh, looks like I've practised_ a lot _of chords. I guess I never noticed because Shego kept barking at me to switch between them quickly during our sessions._

After tidying up the coffee table, Kim sighed.  _Ok, so Shego's mad at me. I sort of don't want to go home. I wonder if Shego'll be mad if I actually stayed the night? I mean, she did tell me to stay if I want to..._ Kim smiled.  _Shego's a lot nicer than she claims she is._

She sat back down on the couch and took up her guitar. She carefully strummed a few chords and came up with a slow melody.  _Huh, this sounds familiar._  She typed in a few key words in Shego's computer and came up with the chords she needed to continue playing. She was suddenly flooded with a wide range of emotions as she continued playing and started to softly sing along halfway into the song.

"Where are you and I'm so sorry  
I cannot sleep I cannot dream tonight  
I need somebody and always  
This sick strange darkness comes creeping on so haunting every time  
And as I stared I counted the webs from all the spiders  
catching things and eating their insides  
Like indecision to call you  
And hear your voice of treason  
Will you come home and stop this pain tonight  
stop this pain tonight  
I miss you, miss you..."

Kim's vocals trailed off and were replaced by soft sobs.

_Aw, shit._

* * *

Shego was in her music room, still somewhat fuming over Kim's attitude, when she heard soft guitar playing. Actually, she didn't hear the guitar playing immediately - she was wearing headphones and listening to nothing. It was one of her odd ways to deal with her sometimes-ravaging emotions. Having the headphones on produced a psychological effect on her - it let her focus. Listening to nothing merely allowed her to focus on the task at hand (in this case, trying to get her mind off of Kim, but she ended up thinking of Rachel instead) and allowed her to block out any distracting noises.

However, in this case, the headphones didn't block out the distracting noise. Shego pulled off her headphones and walked over to the door separating her music room from the living room.  _What the hell, she's still here? She's playing something... Oh, and she's singing now. Huh. Wondering why she's doing that._  Shego frowned.  _She sounds so sad._  Shego gripped the doorknob.  _Should I go and talk to her even if she doesn't want to talk about it? Or should I offer her something to drink; I find a hot cup of tea usually helps calm my nerves._ She was about to turn the doorknob when she heard the guitar playing stop. But then another sound caught her attention: sobbing.

 _Oh boy, I really don't do these feely, emotional kinds of conversations. Should I go to her? Or should I pretend to not hear her? It's not like she's crying out loud on purpose... I mean, it's quiet sobbing, not wailing to get my attention._ Shego let go of the doorknob and slowly walked back over to her desk.

Suddenly the sobbing stopped. Shego heard footsteps approach her door.

Then she heard them shuffle away.

Silence.

And then she heard her front door slam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a short chapter for this week, but bear with me, school just started...
> 
> The song that Kim sing is blink-182's "I Miss You." I do not own the lyrics to the song!
> 
> Again, Shego's compassionate side is OOC. And I made a random reference from the Big Bang Theory (TV series) where Sheldon Cooper always offers his friends hot beverages when they're upset. It wasn't really deliberate, though.
> 
> Next up: So, something's eating away at Kim... what is it, exactly? Will we ever find out? And why did Kim leave?


	9. All By Myself

Shego quickly opened the door.  _What_   _the hell just happened?_ She walked over to the coffee table and noticed that everything was tidied up. She peered at her laptop and noticed that the chords on the screen were probably the reason why Kim started sobbing.  _Well, that song is sad..._  She sighed. She proceeded to go back to her bedroom when she noticed that Kim had forgotten her guitar on Shego's couch.

 _Will she come back and get it? I could always call or text her to let her know that it's here._ She thought for a moment.  _Nah, she probably wants some space right now._

Shego picked up the guitar. It was a beautifully crafted Taylor guitar, one with a tobacco sunburst pattern that reminded Shego of Kim's fiery red hair. She strummed a note and listened to it.  _Princess' guitar produces a nice sound, it's sort of earthier than any of the acoustics that I have._  She put the guitar back down on the couch - if Kim was anything like Shego (which she might or might not be), the redhead would definitely not like other people touching her guitar without permission.  _Ah well, looks like Princess won't be back tonight. Might as well go shower._

Slipping off her t-shirt and shorts in the bathroom, Shego took a very hot shower and gave herself some time to think about the situation she was in.

* * *

 _What are you doing, Shego? The girl has a_ future _. You're just being a roadblock in her path to success._ But what kind of success will that be if the kid follows her parents' orders and isn't happy with doing that?

 _Your motto was to always do whatever you want._ That's how it's always been, my parents don't really give a crap about how I've ended up _._

 _But Kim's parents have dreams of their daughter doing something big. Something better than just chilling at your apartment and wasting away by playing guitar._  We're not wasting away playing guitar... If she doesn't want to do this, then she can just up and leave me.

 _Yes, she can, but admit it, Shego, you like playing guitar with her._ I do.

 _You want to keep playing the guitar with her._  Yes.

 _But it begs the question,_ why  _do you like playing guitar with her?_ I don't know why.

 _Isn't she just like Rachel?_ No.

 _What makes Princess so much more different than Rachel?_ I don't know.

 _Is it her voice?_  Maybe.

 _Is it that she reminds you of yourself?_  What? Where is this coming from?

_At one point in your life you, you were probably just as confused as she was. After Viridian split, you felt like you needed to get out of the industry. It was like you were crushed by the hand of fate. Success doesn't come easily, but it can easily slip away._

That wasn't anyone's fault.

_Oh, really? Rachel's laryngitis didn't develop overnight, you know._

You know what, just shut up. I don't dwell on the past.

_Then make a future with this girl._

A future? She has more of a future than I do. She has a degree that she can actually use. I can't go around forever doing nothing but collect guitars and the odd composition job every now and then.

_That was what you were doing before you met Kim._

I'm just teaching the kid how to play the guitar  _properly_.

_Seems like you have different aspirations for her than just teaching her how to play guitar._

No. No way in hell do I have any aspirations for the brat. I don't have musical aspirations of my own, damn it!

_Oh, really? Then why do you keep collecting guitars? Why do you sometimes spend countless nights composing songs that aren't even going to be sold to production companies for their movies? Why don't you make more television or radio jingles? Why do you continue to make your own music as if you had no care in the world? Why do you keep teaching Kim how to play? Why do you even bother if you claim to have no musical ambitions?_

_..._  Why the fuck do I want to go back in the biz? There are too many pop bands and their autotune crap. Very little people know what  _good_  music is.

_Oh, so apparently_ you _make good music._

Damn right I do.

_And you don't want to go back into the industry?_

Fuck no.

_You're lying. Those dreams of making it big never died after Viridian, Shego. You still want to make music for the rest of your life. Why not make it with someone who's trying to do the same?_

How do you know she's trying to do the same? The kid's just as confused as any other college graduate. Give her some time and she'll clear her head. She'll realize this path leads to nowhere.

_It led you somewhere at one point in your life._

I was a reckless teenager, fuelled by angst, who poured her soul into playing guitar.

_What's to say Kim isn't like that right now?_

She's an  _adult_  who just hit a brick wall in life. She'll overcome it eventually.

 _The_ kid _composed her own song for that talent show. You know she has talent._

Shut up.

_As much as you'd like to drown me out, Shego, you know I'm right. You want to keep making music. She might not know who you or Viridian are, but she knows that you know a hell of a lot of things when it comes to playing guitar. She'll stick around for a bit because you're the best person to teach her, so don't you worry. She won't be going anywhere. Not away from you, anyway._

Fuck you, whoever you are...

_I'm you, Shego. Don't you forget that._

* * *

Shego's train of thought was interrupted when the hot water ran out. The sudden change in temperature brought her back to her senses.  _Gah, where did all of that come from?_   _I don't normally space out like that. Maybe the kid is affecting me a bit, but she sure as hell doesn't remind me of myself._

Before she knew it, Shego started shivering from the cold water and decided it was time to get out. She put on her bathrobe and heard someone pounding on her apartment door. Quirking an eyebrow, she made her way over and shouted, "Stop breaking down my door! I'm coming!"

She opened the door to a sea of red hair and...

"Huh? Kimmie?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shego's internal soliloquy makes a presence! No, she's not crazy, but I think this sort of encapsulates how our thought processes can go around in circles and sometimes make no sense. I might have more of these later on - I might try writing from Kim's point-of-view, but I feel like I'd do a terrible job... I'm more comfortable getting into Shego's head, I suppose.
> 
> If you're wondering why we're still in the past, it's mostly because I'd like to flesh out the characters a bit more before going straight ahead to the duo's gig in Go City. (Because of this, this story is becoming much longer than I had originally planned. 'Much' being about twice as long as I had planned.)
> 
> As usual, please read and review!


	10. Fat Bottomed Girls

"Where were you? I called you, but you didn't answer... I thought you were asleep, so I started pounding on the door," exclaimed the redhead.

Shego stood in the doorway, with a look of disbelief on her face. "You went out and bought..."

"Ice cream!" Kim answered happily. "You didn't really have any in your freezer... so I went out and got some."

"Wait a minute. HOLD UP." Shego did a 'stop right there and talk-to-my-hand' gesture. "You went through  _my_  freezer?"

"I wanted some ice cream..."

"Ok, let me get this straight. You went into  _my_ kitchen in  _my_  apartment looking for ice cream."

It wasn't a question, but a statement. Kim nodded.

"Pray tell, why should I let you back in here after you've ransacked my kitchen for snacks?"

"Because I'm not going to let all this ice cream go to waste!" protested Kim. She lifted up two shopping bags, both of which were stuffed with at least four mini-cartons of ice cream. All of them different flavours, of course.

Shego groaned.  _This kid, I really want to throttle her right now_. "I thought you went back home."

"Oh," replied Kim. "No, I don't feel like going home tonight... Well, you did say I can sleep over, right?" Kim was going to start pouting, but felt that it would just piss Shego off more, so she decided against it.

Shego sighed. "Did you call your parents to let them know?"  _Why should I even care about this?_

"I'll call them in the morning." Kim shrugged.

"Whatever suits your fancy." Shego moved from the door to let Kim in with her shopping bags. "Exactly how many cartons of ice cream did you buy?"

Kim smiled toothily. "Eight."

Shego closed the door. "What the fuck? Eight cartons of ice cream? You can finish that many in one go?"

"Uh, I was actually wondering whether I can just eat them over a few days... y'know, when I come over for practise again tomorrow or something."

Shego stared at Kim. Hard.

Kim blinked and started to shift around uneasily, making a lot of noise with the shopping bags while doing so.

"Whatever, just don't fill up my freezer, Red."

"Red?"

"Your hair."

"Oh." Kim shrugged at the new nickname. She went into Shego's kitchen, fully aware that her benefactor was watching her opening the freezer. Kim pulled out a carton of cookie dough ice cream for herself and turned to face Shego. "What kind of flavour do you like? There's vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, mint chocolate, cookies and creme, Neopolitan, and orange cream."

Shego raised an eyebrow. "You're asking  _me_  if I want ice cream?"

"Yeah, I figured we can share if you want."

"No way, Red. I don't eat ice cream."

Kim pouted. "But it's ice cream! Everyone likes ice cream!"

"Why are you such a baby?" Shego sighed. She really didn't want to babysit Kim tonight.

 _Time to increase the pout factor to 11 again!_  Kim's eyes suddenly grew wide and her pout almost doubled in size.

"Ah, fuck, screw this. Give me the mint chocolate one." Shego shook her head.  _This brat is really getting on my nerves. She's going to ruin her face if she keeps pouting like that_. "Just give me a sec, I'm gonna change." She slowly backed out of the kitchen.

"Ok!" Kim looked over to see the back of Shego's voluptuous figure and realized that Shego was still in her bathrobe. She blushed a little, turned around quickly, and proceeded putting the rest of the ice cream in Shego's freezer.

* * *

"So tell me why you ransacked my fridge for ice cream?" Shego asked in-between spoonfuls of mint chocolate ice cream.  _This is totally going straight to my thighs..._

The duo was sitting on the couch watching whatever sappy movie was on television, but both weren't really paying attention. Shego was more focused on how to work off the calories, whereas Kim was still spaced out in her little world.

"Ah, well, I..." Kim trailed off since she couldn't really give a proper explanation.

Shego turned to look at Kim and kept the spoon in her mouth. She mumbled something indiscernible - Kim could only make out two words: "comfort food." The redhead nodded in agreement and both continued eating in silence for the next little while. It was Shego who spoke next.

"You know, for someone like you, you're really fit. It makes me wonder what all this ice cream will do to your ass," Shego mused.

Kim almost bit her tongue at Shego's remark. "What? That was random..." Kim shrugged. "Obviously, I'll work it off."

Shego laughed. "You're gonna be a fat ass."

Kim's cheeks turned crimson. "Not going to be as fat as you!"

"Oh, really? You're the one who bought eight cartons of ice cream... and you're going to eat all of them."

"You're eating one as we speak! And we're sharing them!"

"Uh, no way, Kimmie. This is the only carton I'll be eating."

Puppy pout, levelled at factor 14, suddenly appeared. Shego nearly choked on her ice cream.

"Gah! Princess, stop trying to kill me with that face. Where'd you learn to do that, anyway?"

"Family secret!" Kim happily answered.

"So... your entire family does this to get what they want?" Shego replied quizzically.

Kim blinked thoughtfully. "No, I guess it's just me and my mom who does this. The trademarked Possible puppy dog pout!"

"Ugh, it even has a name..."

"Of course! Don't you like it?" Kim started pouting again to make her point, but then Shego took a spoonful of mint chocolate ice cream and shoved it in Kim's mouth.

"Agh-!" Kim swallowed the ice cream and pulled out the spoon before shouting at Shego. "What the hell! You nearly choked me!"

"Revenge is sweet. Payback is sweeter. Quite literally in this case," Shego laughed.

"Ha ha ha, very funny, Sheeg."

Shego raised an eyebrow at the nickname. "Sheeg?"

"Can I call you that? You call me all these nicknames..." Kim mused out loud.

"Well, that's because you're a brat and pretty much act all princess-y."

"I  _so_  do not."

"So you're admitting you're a brat?"

"I totally did not admit that!"

Shego smirked. "Princess the Brat."

Kim sighed and pretended to throw her hands up in the air. "Whatever you say, Sheeg."

Shego didn't respond to the nickname and went to the kitchen to get another spoon. She carried on eating with her ice cream while Kim sat there watching her for a while before speaking.

"You don't really think of me as a real brat, do you?" Kim asked in a small voice.

Surprised by Kim's question, Shego put down her carton of ice cream and turned to face Kim. "I guess sometimes you do act like a kid, but you're not as annoying as a real brat." It was a fairly honest answer, and given that she did not want to see Kim glum, she had no intention of lying.

"Ok... it's just that I'm not really good at maintaining things" (Kim made quotation marks with her hands at 'things') "between people, so I was just wondering whether you really do think of me as one."

"Ah" was all Shego could say. She felt like she did not have any good advice to give Kim since she often stuck to herself through thick and thin.  _Just me and my guitar, no one else. Maybe Rachel back then, but now, no one._

Kim shook her head. "Sorry, I'm being weird again. Thanks for letting me stay over, I really do appreciate it." She had finished her ice cream and yawned. "Guess I should go to bed."

"Yeah..." Still deep in thought, Shego was at a loss for words.  _Agh, she's messing with my head._ She randomly blurted out, "Maybe you should brush your teeth before sleeping, otherwise your teeth will rot."

"Ha ha," Kim laughed, but noticed Shego's expression. "Wait, you're totally being serious."

"'course. I think I have a spare toothbrush, give me a sec." Shego threw out the two empty ice cream cartons and put the spoons in the sink. She disappeared into her master bedroom for a few minutes and reemerged with a spare set of toiletries for Kim.

"Uh, thanks, Shego."

Shego waved it off and proceeded to wash the spoons.

"...for everything." Kim's gratitude was sincere and she looked at the floor as Shego peered at her from the kitchen. "Thanks for not asking about why I was... for the lack of a better word, emotionally unstable, earlier..."

Shego turned off the tap. "I respect your privacy, Kim, don't worry about it." She scratched the back of her head. "Guess I was a bit rough with you, so... uh... so-"

"It's ok!" Kim interjected Shego's apology.  _Good timing, I don't think she's the kind who says sorry..._  "But, yeah, thanks."

"Don't sweat it, kid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ice cream thing is definitely random. It came to me when I was showering. Totally random.
> 
> Long chapter... I'm more of a dialogue person than anything. I was actually thinking about switching to a screenplay format when I started writing this since I'm not really good at writing descriptive prose. However, I decided against it because it's good practice for me as a writer. I'm mostly good at writing technical reports for school, so writing fiction is a challenge... but a good challenge nonetheless!
> 
> As usual, please read and review!
> 
> Just a small note: I've been busy with school, so the next few updates might be a bit delayed.


	11. Personal

It was 3AM. Kim couldn't sleep. She got out of Shego's futon and shuffled her way to the kitchen.  _I wonder if she has anything good to drink..._

She opened the fridge.  _Aha! A carton of milk... oh hey, this is expensive fine-filtered milk... Now that I think about it, all I see are veggies and healthy food in here. I guess getting all those cartons of ice cream was a bad idea. Maybe I should've gotten frozen yogurt instead..._

A gruff voice interrupted Kim's search to quench her thirst. "Can't sleep, Princess?"

Kim nearly dropped the milk. She fumbled with the carton and put it on the kitchen counter. "Eh, sorry! Did I wake you?"

"Nah, woke up because I wanted something to drink."

"Ah, me too." Kim gestured towards the milk and Shego nodded. The older woman pulled out two mugs for Kim and the redhead poured milk into them. Silence ensued as the two sipped on their drinks.

"So. You went through my fridge again." Shego's voice was stern, but somewhat playful.

"I would've asked but I thought you were sleeping..."

"It's fine, you can totally crash my place, eat all my food, and fill up my fridge with fattening junk," Shego deadpanned.

Kim brightened up. "Really?"

"I was being sarcastic, doy!"

"Oh." Kim tried to hide her pout, but Shego noticed the redhead's disappointment.

"I can't even be sarcastic around you, why is that?"

"I guess I'm a bit blockheaded."

"You're not."

Kim was taken aback. "Well, I don't know, you seem pretty nice to me and maybe I'm just naive in thinking that we're friends..." She paused, hoping that Shego would say something. Anything. "But, I guess we're not?"

Shego furrowed her brow. "I'm not friend material, Kimmie."

"If you're not a friend, then why are you teaching me how to play guitar free of charge?"

"Ok, fine, you got me there, but I just want you to play better."

"And you'd do this for any person you pick up on the street? Not just me?"

Shego frowned. "No." She bit her lip.  _Princess sure has got me stumped here._ Why  _am I doing this?_  "I guess it's more because I liked jammin' with you, that's all."

"And you don't think we have it in us to be friends?"

"Being friends comes with a lot of baggage I don't want to deal with."

Kim's next answer surprised Shego. "Tell me about it; I know what you mean."

Shego gave Kim a puzzled look and poured herself another cup of milk.  _Ice cream_ and  _milk in one night, I totally have to go to the gym tomorrow to work this all off._

Kim pondered for a bit to collect her thoughts.  _Might as well just tell her. She probably won't care or might not listen, but it'd be nice to get this off my chest._

"You see... earlier, I was just so confused. I mean, being friends with someone is supposed to be something great. Wonderful, even. But, I had never been so hurt in my life... never been so betrayed by someone I trusted, someone I confided in..."

Shego deadpanned. "Oh please, don't tell me it's some sob story about a boy."

"And what if it is? What if he was someone I could have possibly loved?" retorted Kim. She tried to keep her voice down, but the anger in her voice was becoming evident.  _How can she be so insensitive?_

"Keywords in your sentence:  _could possibly have_  loved."

"Now that I think about it, it's all speculative  _now_ , but at the time..."

"Oh puh-lease, Kimmie, you're head over heels in," Shego made air quotation marks, "love!" She shook her head. "Of course, you're going to be irrational and think he's  _the one_."

"Why are you so skeptical? Have  _you_  ever been in love?"

"Been there, done that a  _long_  time ago. Now I just don't give a fuck about these sorts of things." Shego waved her hand in nonchalance.

"How can you take such a pessimistic approach? I'm sure there's someone for you."

"How can  _you_  take such an  _optimistic_ approach? One minute you're telling me you're sad, the next you're trying to encourage me to be hurt the same way you were by finding someone I should fall in love with..."

Kim balled her fists while still gripping onto her mug. "I wasn't saying that!" She put down the mug on the kitchen countertop and exhaled slowly. "What I'm trying to say is that it doesn't hurt to be in love..."

"...Yet you're telling me you got one ass-whooping in return for being in 'love'. Riiiiiight. Get to the point, Princess, or I'm going to bed."

Kim was frustrated.  _How can she just be so insensitive? Is she always this insensitive? What a jerk._  She took a deep breath and swallowed. "Look. We dated for a while, I ended up finding out that he was cheating behind my back with my best friend. You're probably wondering why I didn't see the signs... maybe I was being irrational, maybe I was 'head over heels' in love; or maybe, just maybe, I was so fucking happy about how my life was at that point."

Kim took a deep breath before continuing. "So happy that I was in a happy place in my life, so glad that I had nothing to worry about until graduation, so happy that I was blinded by something that should've been obvious to me from the start. You probably don't understand what I'm talking about right now because you just seem so bloody content with how your life turned out, but I really don't know what it's like to be happy after finding out two people I," Kim spat out the next word with malice, " _trusted_  to stab me in the back. I've forgone my happiness for the sake of others, fulfilling whatever dreams whatever my parents have of me, now I'm being pressured to find a job, and I-" Kim started shaking violently - not because she was angry, but it was more like her body was giving into all the pent-up frustration that she had not released for the past few months. All those emotions were bottled inside her, but didn't surface during the time she spent with Shego.

Tears were flowing down her face when suddenly she was enveloped in a... hug?

Yes, Shego was hugging her and shushing her. Trying to get her to calm the fuck down.

Shego patted Kim's back gently. "Shh, it's ok. You didn't have to go into detail, but it's ok... you can continue if you want. If it helps ease the pain and make you feel better."

Kim shook her head. "This is the most I've been able to get out in a few months. It's just nice to have someone listen, that's all." She hastily apologized. "Sorry to be heavy."

Shego's only reply was "Heavy is the cost" as she continued patting Kim. Noticing the confused look on Kim's face, Shego simply shook her head. "Shit happens in life, Princess, I'd hate to say this to you since a minute ago you were saying I'm just one big fucking bitch, but suck it up... and move on with your life. Don't dwell on the past; it leads you to dark places you definitely do not want to go."

"I know shit happens, but I don't know why I just can't let go of it..." Kim laughed bitterly. "It's like I'm in love with the idea of being in love. I mean, wouldn't you find it nice to be in love? Life is so twisted sometimes."

 _In love with the_ idea _of being in love? What the hell is this kid on?_  Shego shook her head. "No, the more you think like that, the more it hurts. Being haunted by ghosts of your past and hanging onto nothing gets you nowhere. I know you're probably sure as hell confused with what to do with your life after college, but remember this, Kim, it's  _your_  life. Do what you want with it. Sure, you can look back and reminisce on the good ol' days with him, but don't do anything further than that. You'd just be stuck in a rut that you can't get out of."

Kim tilted her head in agreement. She simply sighed and pressed closer to Shego (who had, believe it or not, forgotten that she was holding the redhead to calm her down). The close contact made Shego nervous, but she didn't let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to see what's bugging Kim... or do we? Who are the ex-boyfriend and former friend? I don't think it's an integral part of the story, so this is all we'll be seeing for now. I'm such a tease. ;-)
> 
> I actually don't like how this chapter turned out, I might re-write it later, but we shall see. I know I said last week that I'll be busy with school, but I'm actually going to try to put out a chapter every week (making it more of a creative writing exercise for me).
> 
> The 'heavy' and song title references are from the song "Personal" by Stars. (Heavy meaning emotional baggage, in case you were wondering.)
> 
> As usual, please review and let me know what you think!


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